Hug A Tree
With summer starting, it is always a good reminder to all leaders and youth about what to do when you are lost. Here is an excerpt from the 2008/2009 program helps book.
Hug A Tree
Tell your Tigers that if they ever feel that they are lost, they should hug a tree (or a bench or pole if in a mall or other store) in a conspicuous place (along a trail or in an open area), "make friends" with the tree, and wait to be found.
- Hugging a tree and even talking to it will calm a child and help prevent panic.
- Make sure the Tiger knows that their adult partner would immediately retrace their steps as soon as he or she realized the Tiger was lost. They would be found more quickly if they hugged a tree and stayed in one place.
- A lost child who stays in one place won't be injured in a fall while wandering around.
- All youth should wear a whistle when hiking or camping. Do not yell for help. Instead, blow the whistle every few minutes.
- Emphasize to the Tigers that they should stay put with their friend, the tree (or bench), until they are rescued.
For more on this topic, visit http://www.nasar.org/education/hug-a-tree/